Android Q Beta 3: Gboard respects the system accent color and dark theme

Ben Schoon | May 8 2019 - 7:50 am PT

One of my favorite additions to Android Q is the ability to change the accent color of the entire system. In the latest beta update, Gboard has started respecting the system accent color and dark theme in Android Q.

It should come as no surprise that Gboard in Android Q supports the system-wide dark theme. As soon as the toggle is pressed, the keyboard switches from whatever color scheme you’ve chosen to a darker grey theme with a blue “enter” button. It’s not quite as dark as other portions of the UI, but it’s a good change that lines up with the battery saver mode for the keyboard.

What’s more interesting is that, in Android Q Beta 3, Gboard also respects whatever accent color the system has. If you dive into the developer settings and adjust the accent color, Gboard will reflect the change. In my brief testing, I found that the change itself does sometimes require a reboot of your device. When on the default theme (at least on Pixel), Gboard sticks with white.

This all goes out the window, however, if you’ve manually set a theme in Gboard. In that case, the keyboard won’t change its theme at any time, even if the system-wide dark theme is enabled. After a theme is set in Gboard, you’ll have to reset the app entirely to bring back this new functionality.